After a delayed start, the first phase of a multi-year project to replace aging utility infrastructure and create a more pedestrian-friendly space on Calder Way in downtown State College is expected to get underway soon.
Contractor HRI, Inc. will start exploratory excavation work between South Fraser and McAllister streets the week of Aug. 21, according to a borough news release on Friday. Work was originally slated to begin immediately after the conclusion of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in mid-July, but has been slowed by materials procurement delays.
“Soft excavation will be conducted on streets in advance of utility replacement,” the release stated. “This step is crucial in confirming the precise locations of existing utilities before commencing the broader utility replacement phase.”
Drivers and pedestrians will encounter localized traffic and pedestrian disruptions managed by two-person traffic control during the three-week excavation period.
First phase work between South Fraser and McAllister streets will include replacement of sanitary sewer, stormwater, water main and gas main lines and providing provisions for electric and telecommunications lines to be moved underground. Future phases will involve similar work on the rest of the street.
Message boards and construction signage will be in place beginning Sept. 11. Flaggers also will be on-site at times to assist with the flow of traffic.
“As the month progresses, there will be an increase in the presence of construction vehicles,” the release stated. “These vehicles will be stationed at various points along Calder Way, initially preparing before mobilizing and staging in Kelly Alley.”
Starting Sept. 19, crews will begin water line work in Kelly Alley. A new water main and service connections first will be installed in Kelly Alley before moving on to Humes Alley (from Calder Way to East Beaver Avenue) and McAllister Street (from Calder Way to East College Avenue).
Work for the year is scheduled to continue through November.
Phase one, which encompasses Calder Way between South Fraser and McAllister streets, is part of an overall project to transform Calder Way into a “pedestrian-preferred” corridor with limited vehicular traffic, “replacing curbed sidewalks with more artistic measures and the incorporation of other streetscape enhancements from Hiester to Burrowes,” according to the borough’s 2023-27 Capital Improvement Plan.
Streetscape and transportation work planned in the first phase will include widened sidewalks to provide an at-grade pathway using stamped concrete, ADA upgrades at all intersections with detectable warning devices. The project vision also calls for installation of retractable bollards for traffic control and new lighting, greenery and public art.
Future phases are expected to occur through 2027.
Borough council awarded the phase one contract in June to HRI, Inc. for $6.6 million. The first phase is funded by a a $2.4 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (Pennvest), as well as American Rescue Plan Act funds set aside for the project and $1.7 million from the State College Borough Water Authority for replacement of a water main that has reached the end of its useful life.
